The Secret To Success At Work In The New Year

2016 has arrived and with it comes the overwhelming feeling of excitement and anticipation of getting a fresh start - particularly in the business world. Every year at this time many working professionals establish new resolutions and goals for the year ahead and have good intentions to see them through. They vow -no matter what- to make a change for the better.

The unfortunate reality, however, is that many fall short and abandon their goals just as quickly as they set them. This is a result of the conditions and false premise upon which these goals are established - one that requires that their reality or circumstances will change as well.

Yes, in a perfect world you might find yourself in situations where deadlines don’t conflict with one another and client demands decrease. Your boss might even be ok with you turning in that productivity report or annual budget a bit late given your hectic schedule. Wow, what an understanding manager. Isn’t life grand?

Ok, it’s time to return from Fantasyland. While it’s true that these scenarios playing out in real life would be easier on us, what are the odds that all that will actually happen? Not good. And yet this skewed take on reality is exactly what keeps us from achieving our goals year after year and finding true happiness and success at work. We intend to work hard and get stellar results for our organizations, but only if the circumstances are in our favor and everyone else follows our lead.

The truth is if we want to make a change and achieve our annual goals we have to be willing to change our mindsets, behaviors and beliefs as to how we will get there. Tackling new goals with the same old outlook or approach simply won’t cut it. We must to look to ourselves rather than outside factors when it comes to determining our success. Here are three ways this can be achieved in the New Year:

1. Get Personally Accountable - It’s much easier to point to others as the cause of our problems or roadblocks to our success. That’s because personal accountability is usually correlated with the concept of blame, but it’s actually much more empowering than we realize. Once we have full ownership over our actions, it becomes clear that we alone are responsible for our results. It’s only then that we will give the gift of our work unconditionally. So stop waiting for someone else to step in and define what success means for you. The power to achieve your goals lies within you and you alone.

2. Commit To Succeeding In Spite Of The Facts - There will always be external circumstances that seemingly get in the way of achieving your goals. Quit hoping that your circumstances will change and, instead, change the way you view them. Your circumstances or situation are not the reason you are not succeeding, they are the reality in which you must succeed. Use your energy to persevere and find ways to achieve success despite any obstacles along the way.

3. Strive For Continuous Learning - No one has ever succeeded without experiencing some failures along the way, so anticipating some challenges throughout the course of the year is acceptable. Embrace these moments and try to find a way to learn from them in the future. What choices did you make and how did they impact your results? Need some help? Look to a manager or mentor for advice and take their feedback to heart. Act on it and use it to better yourself and achieve your goals. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to learn from your errors if you expect to grow.

With the right mindset and attitude, meeting your professional goals this year is very possible. You have the ability to get what you want, but first you have to embrace reality and play by its rules. Starting with yourself is where it all begins. Get to a state of constant readiness and be prepared to change your own behaviors and push for results no matter what potential roadblocks are in your way.

Remember, you can’t expect anyone to work harder for your success than you do. If you vow to give it your all, accept reality and learn along the way, success will be within reach.

I am a drama researcher, international keynote speaker, business consultant, and New York Times bestselling author advocating a revolutionary new approach to leadership called Reality-Based Leadership. My goal is to help leaders and organizations thrive despite the circumsta...